Planned Giving

Planned Giving is Simple and Impactful

Over the 131 years of Belhaven's existence, the University has been blessed by many alumni and friends who have made regular and annual gifts to sustain Belhaven's Christ-driven mission...these gifts are essential! We hope you will prayerfully consider how you could help establish a lasting legacy for future generations. Through estate planning, individuals can often leave a gift to the University that is 10-20 times greater than what they might be able to give on an annual basis. With numerous tax advantages, creating a planned gift can truly be a "win-win" for everyone.

People often think making a planned gift is an extremely complicated process, but that is not true. No matter your age or stage in life, it is an easy and effective way to make a significant gift to Belhaven. Quite simply, a planned gift is any written document that names Belhaven as a future beneficiary of a portion of one's assets.

Here are a few ways to make a gift that also take into consideration your personal circumstances and the needs of your heirs:

Gifts That Pay You Income

Charitable Gift Annuity: With your gift, you create an annuity that makes annual payments to you based on your age. Once established, a gift annuity will increase your spendable income, give you a charitable deduction for income tax savings, and provide future scholarships for students to attend Belhaven University.

Charitable Remainder Trust: At the time of your gift to Belhaven, you will enjoy a tax deduction, remove taxable assets from your estate, and gain income for you and others you name. Upon your death, or the death of all the beneficiaries, the remaining assets go to Belhaven.

Gifts That You Make Today

Charitable Lead Trust: Through a charitable lead trust, you transfer a portion of your assets to Belhaven, who will in turn manage those assets in order to receive payments from the investment. You decide how large the payment is and its duration. When the terms are complete, the trust goes back to you, your grandchildren or other heirs that you name.

Donor Advised Fund: A donor advised fund is a separately identified fund or account that is maintained and operated by a nonprofit organization. You can open one with a written agreement between you and the organization that gives you (or other family members) the right to recommend that distributions (i.e., grants) be made from your fund to Belhaven. (You cannot direct distributions. You have only the right to make recommendations regarding how much, how often and to which charities. Most donor advised funds will follow your advice if it is consistent with the fund's objectives and the selected charities are qualified charities.)

Gifts That Make An Impact After Your Lifetime

Bequests: When preparing or revising your will, you make important choices that identify how your personal wishes should be fulfilled. One sentence in your will can make a difference for your charitable intent for Belhaven University. Consider, "I give, devise, and bequest to Belhaven University (insert percent, amount, or nature of gift)."

Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation: A life insurance policy can offer a convenient way to fund a meaningful gift to Belhaven. The policy can be one that you established some time ago and no longer need, or it can be a policy that you take out now and name Belhaven University as the beneficiary. The policy can be on your own life or someone you name.

Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designation: You may have been taking part in saving for retirement through Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), 401(k)s, Keoghs, or other savings plans. You may find that after first providing for your loved ones you can make a meaningful gift to Belhaven from the remaining portion.Property: Your home or other real estate can be given as a gift. This has become increasingly attractive, primarily due to the tax benefits that occur. If you give your home to Belhaven you may even live in it for the rest of your life, which is called a life estate contract. You can have immediate tax deductions equal to the value of the property.